Mucem
Located at the entrance to the Vieux Port, the Mucem has become Marseille’s leading museum since it opened in 2013. Renowned worldwide for its architecture combining technical brilliance and powerful design, the Mucem is the most important museum dedicated to the Mediterranean. Its two buildings, the J4 and the Fort Saint-Jean, take visitors on a journey that em- braces sky and sea, heritage and modernity, city and gardens. Spanning the arts, anthropology, history and archaeology, its exhibitions explore the major cultural, social, scientific and political issues past and present of the European Mediterranean world.
Located at the entrance to the Vieux Port, the Mucem has become Marseille’s leading museum since it opened in 2013. Renowned worldwide for its architecture combining technical brilliance and powerful design, the Mucem is the most important museum dedicated to the Mediterranean. Its two buildings, the J4 and the Fort Saint-Jean, take visitors on a journey that em- braces sky and sea, heritage and modernity, city and gardens. Spanning the arts, anthropology, history and archaeology, its exhibitions explore the major cultural, social, scientific and political issues past and present of the European Mediterranean world.
Programme
Clément Cogitore - Ferdinandea, l’île éphémère
Venue: Fort Saint-Jean / Bâtiment Georges Henri Rivière
Between the end of June and the middle of July 1831, underwater volcanic activity gave rise to a new island in the Mediterranean, in the Sicilian Channel across from Tunisia. While sailors and coastal dwellers feared the awakening of a sea monster, the nascent land aroused the curiosity of scientists and the desire of European powers amid their colonial expansion. Within weeks, the island was claimed for its strategic position by Great Britain, France and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, among others. The rivalry, however, was short-lived: barely six months after its appearance, the newly formed island vanished beneath the waves of the Mediterranean.
Through films, videos and photographs, Clément Cogitore – an artist with a philosophical approach – speculates on the emergence, collapse, and possible re-emergence of the volcano. Blending documentary and fiction, his metaphorical intuition weaves together premonitions, popular beliefs, archival documents, as well as scientific and cartographic records: in his hands, “Ferdinandea” becomes a mirror reflecting different relationships to the world and possible futures.
Don Quixote
A Madman’s Tale, a Tale Worth Laughing At. Venue: Mucem, J4 (RDC)
After having honored Jean Genet, Jean Giono and Gustave Flaubert, the Mucem continues its series of literary exhibitions by celebrating a hero born in Spain, who has spread worldwide to the point of becoming a mythical figure: Don Quixote.
In 1605, Miguel de Cervantes created a character who believes himself a knight-errant in a book where he is little more than an antihero. Like an old man returned to childhood, he acts out the tales born of his imagination both “for real” and “for fun”. With his loyal Sancho by his side, he sets out to rescue the oppressed who never called for help and princesses no one else can see. One declaims lofty, antiquated speeches, the other answers with endless chains of proverbs. Together they ride into parodic battles, while the author revels in clever reflections on fiction and on himself.
And yet, over the span of four centuries, the tremors of this laughter, whether mischievous or dizzying, have absorbed the disquiet of modernity: the romantic pursuit of an impossible ideal, metaphysical solitude, the shifting play of illusion and disillusion, and the quiet heroism of failure. In contrast, the exhibition offers an original approach by returning to the comic, unruly and popular dimensions of the work, as well as to its boundless presence across the most diverse artistic forms and within everyday culture.
Read the sky - Under the stars in the Mediterranean
Venue: Mucem – Niveau 2
From the Moon to the Star of the Shepherd, from the constellation of the Big Dipper to the rings of Saturn, the celestial vault and the stars that inhabit it are the object of immense fascination. This exhibition looks at the Mediterranean night sky from the ground up, combining archaeological, scientific and ethnographic objects with works of art, manuscripts and oral heritage.
Méditerranées
Venue: Mucem, J4 (Niveau 2)
The exhibition looks at the way in which the Mediterranean has been constructed as an element of natural, artistic and ethnological heritage – three approaches comparable in construction over time. It shows how museums have presented the Mediterranean theme. The exhibition will present the Mucem and its identity from a historical and disciplinary perspective, demonstrating both its origins and its uniqueness in the museum landscape.
Popular?
Venue: Mucem, J4
This permanent exhibition showcases what makes up the “bulk” of the museum, telling all the stories that led to the acquisitions, the life stories of the items, and the reasons why they were brought into the museum’s reserves, past and present. Alongside the 1,200 objects and documents from the Mucem’s historical collections or those more recently acquired by the museum, an immersive digital mediation system uses a selection of objects to evoke the idea of ‘popular culture’ that permeates its collections.
Access
Mucem - Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée
1, esplanade du J4
13002 Marseille
+33 (0)4 84 35 13 13
mucem.org
Every day except Tuesday, 1 May, and 25 December, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Locate other art venues in the vicinity on the map.
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PLACES TO DISCOVER
• Friche La Belle de mai : An arts and culture factory and a living place.
• Coco Velten : A place for working and encounters with a collaborative cultural programme.
• Fotokino : Exhibitions, screenings, workshops and conferences.
• Lucy Luce : the workshop-boutique of a jewelry designer and organic sculptures.
• Galerie Béa-Ba : A hub for contemporary painting.
• JoggingJogging : concept et fashion store.
• Double V Gallery : The trendy contemporary art gallery in Marseille.
• Le Don du Vent : Boat rental and private boat services.
PLACES TO STAY
• Les Bords de Mer : Mini-refuge, maxi-vue : 19 bedrooms facing the big blue.
• Hôtel Le Ryad : Well located at the top of la Canebière in the city center.
• La Résidence du Vieux Port : 4-star hotel with a retro decor, inspired by Le Corbusier and Pouillon.
• Tuba Club : A restyled former diving club in the Goudes district. 5 bedrooms and a restaurant with a breathtaking view of the Calanques.
PLACES TO EAT
• La Marine des Goudes : A mythical place in the heart of the little port of Les Goudes, inviting the sea to enter and guests to sail.
• Sépia : Seasonal cooking. Covered terrace and view of the city.
• La Parenthèse : Terrace with tapas to share in a quiet alley of La Vieille Chapelle district.
• Chez Yassine : Tunisian halal specialties. A must-go of Eastern cuisine in the Noailles district.
• Yima: A family Eastern canteen in the Noailles district.
• Toïa : For the ceviche lovers, a tasty cuisine made with fresh and seasonal products.
• La cantine de Lynn : A delicious small restaurant, home cooking and a welcoming atmosphere.
• Les Buvards : An excellent selection of natural wines and healthy products in this natural wine bar pioneer in Marseille.
• Épicerie L’Idéal : Fresh goat cheese, Camargue lamb, an excellent selection of products from the Mediterranean Basin to take away and meals to eat in.
• Maison Geney : Canteen, delicatessen and tearoom with homemade products, a simple and generous cooking in the Panier district.
